Tourism is the lifeblood of Cairns (pronounced Caans). The city makes a good base for exploring the wild top half of Queensland, and tens of thousands of international travelers use it as a jumping-off point for activities such as scuba diving and snorkeling trips to the Barrier Reef, as well as boating, fishing, parasailing, scenic flights, and rain-forest treks.It's a tough environment, with intense heat and fierce wildlife. Along with wallabies and grey kangaroos in the savannah and tree kangaroos in the rain forest, you'll find stealthy saltwater crocodiles, venomous snakes, and jellyfish so deadly they put the region’s stunning beaches off- limits to swimmers for nearly half the year. Yet despite this formidable setting, Cairns and tropical North Queensland are far from intimidating places. The people are warm and friendly, the sights spectacular, and—at the right time of year—the beachside lounging is world-class.

2

JOURNÉE EN MER

mar. 12 mai

mardi 12 mai

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Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

3

ALOTAU

Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée

mer. 13 mai

mercredi 13 mai

13:00
-
18:00

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Alotau is the provincial capital of the Milne Bay Province located in the southeast bay of Papua New Guinea. The town and surrounding area has been an important staging ground during World War II and we will see remains and memorials dating back or referring to the war. On a tour of the town, visitors will appreciate lovely vistas of the bay and experience the markets, which are frequented not only by locals, but also by islanders selling their products or looking for produce to take back into Milne Bay. Alotau is an important port facility for the islands and attracts many vendors of handicrafts from different islands.

4

TUFI

Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée

jeu. 14 mai

jeudi 14 mai

07:00
-
18:00

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Tufi is located on the south-eastern peninsula of Cape Nelson in the Oro Province of Papua New Guinea. It is situated on a tropical fjord, which is the work of ancient volcanic activities and was not shaped by ice as the descriptive name might lead you to believe. Surrounded by uncharted coral reefs, the underwater world has attracted many divers wanting to see for themselves how the area earned the description of having more fish than water. Although Tufi has been the administrative centre of the region, traditional ceremonies are still very important with natives wearing tapa cloth made from the bark of mulberry trees found in the local forest. Dance is predominant in the culture and performers sport fanciful headdresses decked with bird-of-paradise plumes and a rainbow of iridescent feathers.
Lire plus Tufi’s wide range of colourful birds and butterflies is well-known throughout Papua New Guinea, boasting several ‘largest’, ‘biggest’ and ‘smallest’ records.

5

DEI DEI HOT SPRINGS (Fergusson Island)

Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée

ven. 15 mai

vendredi 15 mai

05:30
-
12:00

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Fergusson is one of the three biggest and mountainous islands in the Milne Bay Province, and part of the D’Entrecasteaux Islands. On Fergusson’s south side are the famous Dei Dei geysers — natural hot springs that periodically erupt with vapour steam next to mud pools and a warm stream. The hot springs are still used by locals to cook food in palm frond and pandanus leaf baskets placed into the boiling hot water. Birds in the area include Eclectus Parrots, Yellow-bellied Sunbirds and the endemic Curl-crested Manucode – a bird-of-paradise.

5

DOBU ISLAND

Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée

ven. 15 mai

vendredi 15 mai

13:30
-
19:00

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Dobu is a small island in the D’Entrecasteaux Group next to Fergusson Island and Normanby Island.
The island was formerly feared because of black magic and the local “witch” doctors cursing the healthy or treating the sick. An anthropological study was done by Reo Fortune in the 1930s which resulted in the book “The Island of Sorcerers”.
The island is also part of the famous Kula ring. Participants in the exchange system pride themselves with mwali and soulava (armbands and necklaces) that are given and received still today and it is interesting to see how the traditional objects have been adorned with modern paraphernalia.
A stroll through the main village on the northwestern tip will show the school and church and trails leading along the shore passing traditionally thatched houses and gardens.

6

KUIAWA ISLAND

Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée

sam. 16 mai

samedi 16 mai

06:30
-
17:00

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The Trobriand Islands are the northernmost islands in the Milne Bay Province. Kuiawa is to the southwest of the largest of these islands. A visit to one of the smaller Trobriand Islands will always be a cultural emersion. Trobriand Islanders are well known for their gardening skills and for employing magic to grow better produce. Yam gardens are a source of pride for the islanders and yam is not only used as food, but larger yams are publicly displayed to indicate the skill and importance of the owner. On some islands the yam storage huts are prominent features of the villages. Cultural presentations are usually held around harvest time and are not only meant to entertain, but are seen by the locals as a way to show off their wealth and to compete between clans and groups.

7

JACQUINOT BAY

Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée

dim. 17 mai

dimanche 17 mai

07:30
-
18:00

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Jacquinot Bay is a large open bay on the eastern coast of the island of New Britain. It is a tranquil place with white sandy beaches and tropical palm trees all around. There is also a well-known beautiful waterfall that flows out of the mountainside with freezing cold water right onto the beach. But during WWII, however, it was not a quiet place. It was, in fact, an important base for the Australian Army who liberated it in November 1944. This base was used to support Australian operations near Rabaul which were conducted in early 1945 in conjunction with advances on the northern side of New Britain.

8

RABAUL

Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée

lun. 18 mai

lundi 18 mai

09:00
-
23:30

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Rabaul, the former provincial capital, has quite a remarkable location. The town is inside the flooded caldera of a giant volcano and several sub-vents are still quite active today! The fumes of the volcano Tavurvur can be seen continually and the town suffered greatly during the last major eruption of 1994 when some 80% of the houses collapsed due to the ash raining down onto their roofs. Rabaul has a Volcano Observatory sitting atop the town’s center, monitoring the 14 active and 23 dormant volcanoes in Papua New Guinea. A small museum opposite the bunker used by Yamamoto during World War II shows exhibits relating to Rabaul’s local, German, Australian and Japanese past from the 19th century to Papua New Guinea’s independence in the 1970s.

9

JOURNÉE EN MER

mar. 19 mai

mardi 19 mai

zoom_out_map

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

10

TUAM ISLAND

Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée

mer. 20 mai

mercredi 20 mai

06:30
-
17:00

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Banana-shaped Tuam is an uplifted coral atoll covered in palm trees. The only village is located on the lower eastern side of the island. Highly exposed to the trade winds, the islanders have set up protective walls made out of palm-branches giving the village the look of a fortified castle from a distance. A trail marked by white sand leads from the landing site to the settlement area of neatly organized wooden huts and houses with pandanus-thatched roofs. The forest reveals different gardens set up in the higher regions of the island. The island also has a spectacular reef and snorkelling next to the drop-off can reveal many colorful reef fish.

11

MADANG

Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée

jeu. 21 mai

jeudi 21 mai

06:30
-
18:00

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The eastern half of the island of New Guinea - second largest in the world - was divided between Germany (north) and the United Kingdom (south) in 1885. The latter area was transferred to Australia in 1902, which occupied the northern portion during World War I and continued to administer the combined areas until independence in 1975. A nine-year secessionist revolt on the island of Bougainville ended in 1997 after claiming some 20,000 lives. On the north coast of the island, we find colourful Madang, called the “prettiest town in the South Pacific”. Its peninsula-setting is a showplace of parks, waterways, luxuriant shade trees and sparkling tropical islands. Although small, the town has modern urban facilities, including hotels, department stores, markets and art shops. The people of Madang can be broken into four distinct groups - islanders, coastal people, river people and mountain people.
Lire plus These groups are similar in appearance except for the smaller Simbai mountain tribesmen from the foothills. The traditional dress consists mainly of traditional dyed multi-coloured grass skirts made out of either pandanas leaves or sago palm. The women from the mountain areas wear skirts that are colourless, narrow and stringy. Unlike the women, men wear meshy net aprons in front and a clutter of target leaves astern.

12

JOURNÉE EN MER

ven. 22 mai

vendredi 22 mai

zoom_out_map

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

13

JOURNÉE EN MER

sam. 23 mai

samedi 23 mai

zoom_out_map

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

14

SATAWAL (Yap)

Micronésie

dim. 24 mai

dimanche 24 mai

12:30
-
19:00

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Satawal is a remote coral island made up of just over 1 km2 of land that is thick with coconut and breadfruit trees. It is home to approximately 500 inhabitants. Archaeologists have not yet agreed about when or how the island Satawal was settled. The people of Satawal are culturally and linguistically related to those of Chuuk in the Caroline Islands. Satawal has a narrow fringing reef and is not frequently visited by outsiders. After World War II, the island was controlled by the United States and administered as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands from 1947. Satawal became an official part of the Federated States of Micronesia in 1979.
Satawal is famous for its ocean-going canoes and navigators –Mau Piailug was the navigator on the Hokulea.

15

Lamotrek, Yap

Micronésie

lun. 25 mai

lundi 25 mai

06:30
-
18:00

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Lamotrek is both a coral atoll in the Federated States of Micronesia, and one of the fourteen outlying atolls that partly makeup the island State of Yap, as well as the only inhabited island of the atoll. While the total land area is less than half a square mile, the atoll’s reef encloses a lagoon that is 12 square miles in size. The population of Lamotrek is approximately 373, and the residents are accustomed to visitors but still maintain their own culture proudly. Visitors to this small island will be greeted with generosity and friendliness that makes up the essence of the Yapese culture. The village is located on the lagoon side of Lamotrek Island and shows almost as many canoe houses as traditional homes.
The lagoon offers snorkeling to see giant clams and, if not on a voyage, the Queen Veronica, the biggest outrigger canoe in the whole Federated States of Micronesia, can be seen.

16

GAFERUT (Yap)

Micronésie

mar. 26 mai

mardi 26 mai

06:00
-
10:30

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Gaferut is a rookery island full of nesting birds, and one of the uninhabited islands of the State of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia. Just 1,500 feet long and 500 feet wide, Gaferut is called Fayo by the Faraulep people of the neighboring atoll some 70 miles to the southwest; meaning stone or rock in the Woleaian language.

17

APRA

Guam

mer. 27 mai

mercredi 27 mai

Arriver
08:30

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Guam is blessed with spectacular natural beauty and a rich cultural history. Apra Harbor is a deep-water port located on the western side of the island. The island is part of the Mariana Islands and near the Mariana Trench, which is the deepest part of the earth’s oceans, and the deepest location of the earth itself. The port serves both as a U.S. naval station and Guam’s main commercial port. The harbour, formed by the Orote Peninsula to the south and Cabras Island in the north, is considered to be one of the best natural ports in the Pacific. Guam’s unique culture, traditions and heritage have remained intact despite European imperialism, wars and changing foreign governments. Archaeological evidence suggests that the indigenous Chamorros of Indo-Malayan descent migrated from the Southeast Asian islands and settled throughout the Marianas archipelago.
Lire plus Being expert seamen and skilled craftsmen, they flourished and built unique houses and canoes suited to the region. As a matriarchal society and through the prestige of the women, much of the Chamorro culture and traditions were able to survive. Since the 16th century, a wave of foreigners have arrived on Guam’s shores, including Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 who remained on the island for three days to restock his small convoy. Americans, Asians, Europeans, Micronesians and other visitors have since left their imprint on the island’s pastimes and tastes.

17

APRA

Guam

mer. 27 mai

mercredi 27 mai

Départ
17:00

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Guam is blessed with spectacular natural beauty and a rich cultural history. Apra Harbor is a deep-water port located on the western side of the island. The island is part of the Mariana Islands and near the Mariana Trench, which is the deepest part of the earth’s oceans, and the deepest location of the earth itself. The port serves both as a U.S. naval station and Guam’s main commercial port. The harbour, formed by the Orote Peninsula to the south and Cabras Island in the north, is considered to be one of the best natural ports in the Pacific. Guam’s unique culture, traditions and heritage have remained intact despite European imperialism, wars and changing foreign governments. Archaeological evidence suggests that the indigenous Chamorros of Indo-Malayan descent migrated from the Southeast Asian islands and settled throughout the Marianas archipelago.
Lire plus Being expert seamen and skilled craftsmen, they flourished and built unique houses and canoes suited to the region. As a matriarchal society and through the prestige of the women, much of the Chamorro culture and traditions were able to survive. Since the 16th century, a wave of foreigners have arrived on Guam’s shores, including Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 who remained on the island for three days to restock his small convoy. Americans, Asians, Europeans, Micronesians and other visitors have since left their imprint on the island’s pastimes and tastes.

18

SAIPAN

Îles Mariannes du Nord

jeu. 28 mai

jeudi 28 mai

13:00
-
17:30

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The Northern Mariana Islands are a chain of 15 tropical islands in the western Pacific Ocean, about 120 miles (193 km) north of Guam. At 12 miles in length and 5 miles wide (19 x 8 km), Saipan is the largest of the 15 islands, and site of the CNMI capital. Settlement of Saipan and its neighbouring islands occurred circa 2000 BC by the Chamorro people who arrived via similar routes as their cousins in Guam. Ferdinand Magellan first sighted the Mariana Islands in March 1521 and claimed “Las Islas de las Velas Latinas” for Spain. In 1668, the islands’ name changed to the present one in honour of Mariana of Austria, the widow of Spain’s king, Philip IV. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the Northern Marianas a United States Commonwealth and its residents U.S. citizens. Today, Saipan boasts a well-developed tourist industry, which is concentrated around Garapan, the capital.
Lire plus In addition to beaches and colourful marine life, American World War II relics, overgrown Japanese bunkers, and mangrove swamps can be seen around the island. Garapan, located on the western side of the island, is home to major hotels and the American Memorial Park, which honours American soldiers who died during the Battle of Saipan.

19

PAGAN

Îles Mariannes du Nord

ven. 29 mai

vendredi 29 mai

12:00
-
18:30

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Among the 15 islands of the Northern Marianas, Pagan Island consists of two stratovolcanoes joined by a strip of land that is less than 600 meters (2,000 feet) across at its narrowest point. The island was completely evacuated in 1981 when a large eruption forced the small Micronesian community to relocate to Saipan. Pagan, the northern volcano, is still active, and one of the more recent lava-flows has come close to the small former settlement on the west coast. To reach this lava flow one has to follow an old runway used by the Japanese during the 1940s, where the remains of several bunkers, pill boxes and planes can still be seen. A hike up the ridge will reveal a scenic view of two lakes further north. The Marianas fruit bat, the Micronesian Megapode, and the impressive coconut crab used to thrive on Pagan.

20

MAUG ISLANDS

Îles Mariannes du Nord

sam. 30 mai

samedi 30 mai

06:30
-
12:30

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Three small elongated islands up to 2.3 km (1.4 miles) in length are all that remains of Maug volcano. The islands form the northern, western, and eastern rims of Maug’s largely submerged caldera. The highest point reaches 227 meters (745 feet) above sea level and the caldera has an average submarine depth of about 200 meters (656 feet). The natural harbor contains a twin-peaked central lava dome that rises up from the seafloor to within a few fathoms (1 fathom equals 1.8288 meters/6 ft) of the surface. This perfect natural harbour often sees dolphins near the southern entrance. The truncated inner walls of the caldera on all three islands show expose lava flows and pyroclastic deposits that are cut by radial dikes. East Island has been used to grow coconut palms and the interior is vegetated providing nesting sites for several bird species.
Lire plus In fact, eleven seabirds, two shore birds and three land birds (the Marianas Megapode, Micronesian Starling and White-collared Kingfisher) are known to be found on Maug.

21

JOURNÉE EN MER

dim. 31 mai

dimanche 31 mai

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Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

22

CHICHIJIMA

Japon

lun. 01 juin

lundi 01 juin

06:30
-
16:00

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The remote Bonin Islands are known in Japan as the Ogasawara Islands. This archipelago has earned the nickname, “Galapagos of the Orient” and was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2011 for the unique plant and animal species that have evolved here. Chichijima, the “father island,” is the largest in the Ogasawara family of islands and yet another fantastic avian destination with several endemic species. Minamijima, a small uplifted coral island just south of the town, has a much photographed natural stone arch reflected in the small turquoise blue lagoon. Chichijima itself has good opportunities for swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing on one of the island’s pristine beaches. Next to the harbor is a humpback whale monument. Although these massive marine mammals migrate away from this area by April, sperm whales visit between May and November.
Lire plus Green turtles, spinner dolphins, and dogtooth tuna are some of the other larger marine creatures found.

23

TORI-SHIMA

Japon

mar. 02 juin

mardi 02 juin

13:00
-
19:00

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The name Torishima translates to “Bird Island” and is a fitting name for this stark, uninhabited volcanic island that Japan has declared a Bird Sanctuary, Natural Monument and National Wildlife Protection Area. Located in the Izu Islands chain about 600 kilometers (370 miles) due south of Tokyo, Torishima is home to about 1500 mature Short-tailed Albatrosses. 2017 estimates considered 4200 birds to exist on Torishima. This rare species is known to breed on only four islands in the North Pacific, with close to 80% nesting on the volcanic ash slopes of Torishima. Adults will leave in April, fledglings will stay until mid-May. As the island is an active volcano (last eruption in 2002) a landing here is only granted to scientists, and then only by helicopter.

24

JOURNÉE EN MER

mer. 03 juin

mercredi 03 juin

zoom_out_map

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

25

JOURNÉE EN MER

jeu. 04 juin

jeudi 04 juin

zoom_out_map

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is going to the gym, visiting the spa, whale watching, catching up on your reading or simply topping up your tan, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

26

HIROSHIMA

Japon

ven. 05 juin

vendredi 05 juin

06:00
-
12:00

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History buffs will want to write home Hiroshima. Despite being devastated in 1945, this Japanese city is known to all for its commitment peace – its ruin on the 6th August 1945 led to the end of the war and today, the Peace Memorial (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) , is a constant reminder of the destruction that war brings. A walk in the leafy boulevards of Peace Memorial Park brings quiet contemplation. The Flames of Peace – set in the park’s central feature pond – burn brightly and will continue to do so until all the nuclear bombs I the world have been destroyed. There are many other inspiring messages of hope around the city too; the Children’s’ Peace Monument just north of the park is a homage to little Sadako Sasaki, who was just two in 1945. When she developed leukemia in 1956, she believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes – a symbol of longevity and happiness in Japan – she would recover.
Lire plus Sadly she died before she finished her task but her classmates finished the rest.
If you are lucky enough to visit during the unpredictable and short-lived Sakura (cherry blossom) season, then the extraordinary sight of the delicate pink blossom floating across the water to the red gate, means you can consider yourself one of the luckiest people on the planet.

26

MIYAJIMA ISLAND

Japon

ven. 05 juin

vendredi 05 juin

13:45
-
20:00

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The small island of Miyajima (“The Shrine Island”) is known for the Floating Torii Gate, which is one of “The Three Most Beautiful Views” of Japan. Built in the water, the Torii Gate leads to the Itsukushima Shrine and at high tide it seems to float. The Torii Gate is one of the most photographed sites in all of Japan. There are many more shrines and paths on Miyajima that are inviting to walk. Mount Misen has a cable car leading partly up to the top with nice views and and deer roaming the trails.

27

OKAYAMA

Japon

sam. 06 juin

samedi 06 juin

09:00
-
21:00

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Okayama is an important transportation hub and one of the largest cities of the Chugoku Region. It is famous because it has one of Japan’s most significant gardens. Although the “Korakuen” Garden was severely damaged by bombs in WWII, the descriptions and paintings from the Edo period permitted an exact reconstruction. It is one of the “Three Gardens of Japan” and has been designated a “Special Scenic Location”. Known formerly as the centre of rice-distribution in the Okayama area, many old warehouses next to the preserved canal have been converted into museums, boutiques and cafes. Another nearby attraction is the Ohara Museum, which was the first Japanese Museum to permanently exhibit Western Art.
Lire plus Specializing in French Art at the beginning, it has an eclectic mix of paintings and objects by El Greco, Renoir, Gauguin, Pissarro, Degas, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Matisse, Rodin, and Picasso, as well as pieces from Jackson Pollock, de Chirico and Jasper Johns.

KOBE

Japon

dim. 07 juin

dimanche 07 juin

Arriver
09:30

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Located on the calm waters of the Inland Sea, Kobe has served as an important port town for hundreds of years. It was one of the first harbours to accept foreign traders in 1868 when Japan was just emerging from its centuries of isolation. What followed was a surge of Western trade and exports. Today, Kobe is quite multicultural, with expatriates from 98 different nations in residence, providing a cultural diversity most easily visible in restaurants serving every kind of cuisine, including the now world famous Kobe beef. The Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995 set back Kobe’s development, but not for long. Kobe emerged more vibrant than before - with additional attractions, hotels and urban redevelopment. It is a cosmopolitan place with lively shopping arcades, interesting museums, great restaurants, and a port that is still at the heart of things. Kobe also serves as the gateway to the ancient Japanese capitals of Kyoto and Nara.